A55748:45
The mystical match between Christ and his churchThe mysticall match between Christ and his church
The mystical match between Christ and his church by the late learned and reverend divine, John Preston ... The leading sermon to that treatise of his called The churches marriage.The mysticall match between Christ and his church by the late learned and reverend divine, John Preston ... The leading sermon to that treatise of his called The churches marriage.
London: printed for Francis Eaglesfield, 1648
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Fourthly, if thou wouldest know whether Christ have matched with thee, then be sure of this, that 1he hath washed thee from thy filthiness, look to that as another mark whereby thou mayest discern ⟨p. 19⟩it: For though JESUS CHRIST marry thee when thou art in thy blood, yet when thou art married once, he suffers thee not to continue so, but he will cleanse and wash thee from it, as we see in this Chapter, the Apostle exhorts Husbands to love their Wives, as Christ loved the Church, and gave himself for it, that he might sanctify, and cleanse it with the washing of water, by the word, that he might present it to himself a glorious Church not having Spot or Wrinkle, or any such thing, but that it should be holy without blemish; mark it, when Christ hath married thee, his end is, to present thee pure, to wash thee. Now consider whether thou find thy self cleansed from thy filthiness, and from all filthiness, for when he washeth any, he washeth them from top to toe, though not fully in respect of degrees, yet he suffers not any spot or wrinkle, to remain constantly upon them. For the meaning is, not that this wishing is perfected suddenly, when we come to heaven, there shall not be the least wrinkle at all: but notwithstanding he so washeth them here, that there is no spot remains, 2that is, they allow not themselves in any sin, that they wallow not in any puddle, he so cleanseth them from every sin, that it doth not abide there, a believer is still purifying himself, though he be still defiled; therefore consider with thy self, whether Christ have thus cleansed thee from all pollution of flesh and spirit. Beside in this washing, he doth not only cleanse thee from all outward defilements, but he will wash thee from thy filthy nature, not only from the outward ⟨p. 20⟩stains, but from that swinish nature: for though a swine be washed clean, if she retain her nature, she will be ready to fall into the next puddle she meets with; but now when Christ washeth his Church, he washeth them from the filthiness of their nature, even every man whom he washeth: Therefore consider if thou find this purifying of the Holy Ghost or no; for whosoever is washed by Christ, there is a certain simplicity and plainness of heart, that though he fall into sin, yet his heart is upright with Christ, as we see in